Once Upon a Moonlight Dreary
by SusieBogle
Summary: A moonlight take on Edgar Allen Poe's poem. Submitted to the Moonlight Gala fanfic contest.


WRITERS NOTE: WITH THANKS TO THE EDGAR ALLEN POE SOCIETY AND THE L. FRANK BAUM FAMILY.

Preamble: After Sonata, Mick and Beth discovered that they were able to have children. Elliott, hybrid human like Beth, is now 10 years old; Colleen (Collie), hybrid vampire and very precocious, is 8.

Josef took some of the mortal cure and with Simone had a child, Charles "Spike" Kostan, hybrid vampire, 7 years old.

October 31st, 2018. San Francisco, California at the Kostan's ca 1890's Victorian house up on the top of Nob Hill. It is a dark and stormy night … of course.

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. "Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door –"

"Daddy, that's just too boring. Who cares about someone knocking at this old guy's door?" Collie St. John looks mutinous, sticking out her tongue to Spike and getting fanged in return.

Little Spikey Kostan says in a singsong voice, "she's acting like a little baby."

"Am not!" Collie grabs him and starts to wrestle.

Mick St. John had been hoping for a peaceful night. Just a quiet reading of Poe's The Raven, then the children off to their own party. Maybe even a little alone time with Beth, cuddling by the fireplace. Nope, not going to happen. "Cut it out, you two, or I'll send you to bed early. You know I will, young lady! Beth, I thought you said everyone had enough sleep today?"

"Collie, stop it or you'll get us all in trouble." Big brother Elliott, all of 10, lays down the law. "You don't want to miss the costume party, do you?"

Immediately Collie stops and looks stricken, thinking of all her preparations for being Belle from Disney's old classic, "Beauty and the Beast", "Ah, Ell, we were just goofing around."

Beth, Simone and Mick all smile at how easily he controls his sister. Beth wipes the smile off and says "Well, alright then, shall we continue? After all, the sooner we finish this … Elliott, you read the next verse."

And so it continued with the children and adults listening to the oldest scary written poem in American history.

"Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;

Not the least obeisance made he; not an instant stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door –

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door –

Perched, and sat, and nothing more."

Getting towards the end, they could see the younger ones eyes getting rounder, so scary they were hugging each other in fear, and then when it got to the last stanza:

"And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming,

and the lamp-light streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted --- nevermore"

Suddenly a raven comes flying down the lovely mahogany staircase and into the parlor, landing on the mantlepiece. At first it was cawing "Nevermore" over and over again. It's voice was eerily vibrant. The children, even Elliott, had gone deathly quiet. Beth eyes Mick and Simone, as if to say, this your doing? Both shake their heads.

"I am the raven but you can call me Lucifer. Yes, I am the devil and I have come for the children."

All gasp. Little Collie St. John is scared but won't let on. But she does have to go pee or it'll soon be down her pants so she bravely creeps out towards the under the stairs bathroom where she quickly and quietly gets the job done. Leaving she glances into the kitchen. "Uncle Josef?"

Josef Kostan puts his finger to his mouth in the ancient signal for quiet and continues in his Great Oz role: "Before the clock strikes eight, all children of this household must be given to me."

Giggling, Collie crosses her heart in secrecy and goes back into the livingroom. Her mother looks at her, appraisingly. Collie gives her most innocent smile. Seemingly satisfied, Beth turns back but something is niggling at her. One minute Collie was bravado itself; now she is quietly smug. She motions to Mick and Simone. The children, once mesmerized by the raven, now see their parents sneaking down the hallway and follow.

"You must obey me. I am the great and powerful Lucifer. I command you to … Uh, I command you to … hello, everyone.

Happy Halloween, quoth the raven. Nevermore."


End file.
